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Treatment and Medication

Treatment

Medical Care:

  • Scurvy is treated with ascorbic acid.
  • Patients who undergo dialysis should receive 500 mg of supplemental vitamin C daily.
  • Patients benefit from a daily multivitamin because of potential coexisting nutritional deficiencies.

Consultations:

  • Consult a dermatologist for evaluation of skin findings.
  • Consult a nutritionist for evaluation of diet, nutritional education, and assistance.
  • Consult an internal medicine specialist for evaluation of systemic findings.

Diet:

  • As little as 6-10 mg of vitamin C a day is sufficient to maintain body stores of more than 350 mg. Higher intakes are recommended for smokers and pregnant women. Fresh fruits and vegetables are the best sources of vitamin C. A small orange contains approximately 50 mg of vitamin C. In the United States, many beverages are fortified with vitamin C.

Medication

The goal of treatment of scurvy is to saturate the body rapidly with ascorbic acid. At maximum doses, body stores become saturated in a few days. With proper treatment, bleeding stops within 24 hours, and perifollicular petechiae resolve in 2 weeks.

Drug Category: Vitamins -- Vitamins are essential for normal DNA synthesis and cell function.

Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) -- For collagen synthesis and tissue repair.
Adult Dose800-1000 mg/d PO for at least 1 wk, then 400 mg/d PO until recovery is complete
Pediatric Dose150-300 mg/d PO for 1 mo
ContraindicationsLarge doses given in pregnancy have been reported to cause scurvy in neonates removed from the vitamin C–rich fetal environment
InteractionsDecreases effects of warfarin and fluphenazine; increases aspirin levels; on occasion has been used as a specific antidote for symptoms resulting from interaction between ethanol and disulfiram; ascorbic acid in the urine may interfere with tests for glycosuria
PregnancyA - Safe in pregnancy
PrecautionsHigh doses should not be taken by diabetic patients, people on anticoagulant therapy, or those with a history of renal calculi or gout; RDA for lactating mothers is 90-100 mg (excreted in breast milk)
 
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Bibliography

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Scurvy excerpt

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Synonyms And Related Keywords

incapacitating agent; opioid; fentanyl; carfentanil; alfentanil; sufentanil; benzodiazepine; diazepam; chemical warfare agents; chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive threat agents; chemical weapons; benzodiazepine toxicity; opioid toxicity.

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Author Information and Disclosures

Author: Anne Laumann, MBChB, MRCP(UK), Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University

Coauthor(s): Tarita Thomas, PhD, MBA, Medical Scientist Training Program, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University; Janet J Wong, MD, Consulting Dermatologist, Department of Dermatology, University of Connecticut

Anne Laumann, MBChB, MRCP(UK), is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology, Chicago Medical Society, Illinois State Medical Society, Society for Investigative Dermatology, and Women's Dermatological Society

Editor Information

Editor(s): Kathryn Schwarzenberger, MD, Associate Professor, Departments of Dermatology and Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina; Michael J Wells, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center; Van Perry, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Dermatology, University of Texas Health Science Center; Catherine Quirk, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, Brown University; and Dirk M Elston, MD, Director, Department of Dermatology, Geisinger Medical Center

 
 
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